Last week’s Group 1 Ladbrokes Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Jungle Cat will bid to continue his raid on the Spring Racing Carnival’s feature sprints after he was nominated today for both the Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m) and VRC Sprint Classic (1200m), held respectively at The Valley on 26 October and Flemington on 10 November.
Jungle Cat, who enhanced Godolphin UK trainer Charlie Appleby’s impressive strike rate on Australian soil when he triumphed at Caulfield on Saturday, is joined in the nominations for both $1 million Group 1 contests by US Navy Flag, saddled by legendary Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien.
US Navy Flag, who will make his debut down under in The Everest (1200m) on 13 October, is one of four nominees for both races from O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stables, with Intelligence Cross, Spirit of Valor, and Fleet Review also entered.
Should he come through Friday night’s official barrier trial, Chautauqua is expected to return to The Valley to lead the home challenge in the Manikato Stakes, a race he won in 2016. The ‘Grey Flash’ has also been entered by Team Hawkes for the VRC Sprint Classic, which was won last year by Redzel, who is on course to defend his crown after being nominated for both races by Peter and Paul Snowden.
The VRC Sprint has attracted a total of 59 nominations, one more than the Manikato Stakes with entries for both races closing today with Racing Victoria (RV).
Other notable nominees for both races include: Lindsay Park’s globetrotting speedsters Faatinah and Redkirk Warrior, and their Group 1-winning stablemate Vega Magic; the highly-progressive Godolphin trio Kementari, Osborne Bulls and Home of the Brave; the fastest horse Darren Weir has trained, Nature Strip, plus his Japanese-bred stable companions Brave Smash and Kemono; and Everest contenders Trapeze Artist (Gerald Ryan), In Her Time (Kris Lees), Shoals, Santa Ana Lane (both Anthony Freedman) and Invincible Star (Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott).
Tony McEvoy’s flying filly Sunlight has also been nominated for the Manikato Stakes, whilst this year’s Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes winner Written By, who made a winning return for his trainer Grahame Begg at Caulfield last Saturday, has been entered for the VRC Sprint Classic.
Nominations for the Spring Racing Carnival’s prestigious Group 1 three-year-old staying features at Flemington have also been announced today, with the $2 million AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) on 3 November attracting 97 entries, and the $1 million Kennedy Oaks (2500m) at five days later drawing the same number of nominees.
The McEvoy-trained filly Oohood, arguably the country’s bet-performed maiden, is amongst the Kennedy Oaks nominees, together with VOBIS pin-up girl Thrillster, a winner of three races from five starts for the Corstens training team, and Kris Lees’ Group 1 winner El Dorado Dreaming.
The colts and geldings contesting the feature race on Derby Day include the Weir-trained Approach Discreet, the well-bred son of Dawn Approach who made an impression when winning at Morphettville by eight lengths; this year’s Group 2 Produce Stakes (1400m) winner Not a Single Cent, trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace; and Thinkin’ Big, who was set some lofty targets by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott after his breakthrough win in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) last Saturday.
Tomorrow’s Spring Classics Preview Day at Flemington will offer the winners of the Kennedy Oaks Trial (1800m) and AAMI Victoria Derby Trial (1800m) guaranteed entry to the respective feature races. Approach Discreet is the warm favourite for the Derby Trial, which is due off at 3.55pm, with the Oaks Trial scheduled for 4.30pm.
For the full list of Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes nominations, please click here.
For the full list of VRC Sprint Classic nominations, please click here.
For the full list of AAMI Victoria Derby nominations, please click here.
For the full list of Kennedy Oaks nominations, please click here.